Cleaning apparatus with tiltable cleaning head

ABSTRACT

A cleaning apparatus with tiltable cleaning head comprises a main rod, two wringing plates, a cleaning element with a bottom surface, a fastening device, a wringing device, and two connecting assemblies, Each of the two connecting assemblies has a first connecting piece, which is hingedly connected with the fastening device, and a second connecting piece, which is hingedly connected with one of the two wringing plates, The first and second connecting pieces are connected at a variable angle, allowing to incline the main rod, while the bottom surface of the cleaning element rests entirely on a floor to be cleaned, so that cleaning is made with better effect and less effort.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus with a tiltable cleaning head, particularly to a cleaning apparatus with a tillable cleaning head with a variable tilting angle for effective cleaning.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In daily life, cleaning apparatuses with handles are important tools for cleaning floors without the need for bending down or kneeling. A cleaning apparatus with handle generally has a handle and a cleaning element, which is a bundle of cotton strings or a wiping cloth. The cleaning element is attached to a lower end of the handle and works by absorbing water along with dirt on an object to be cleaned. After wiping over the object to be cleaned, the cleaning element is manually wrung, which is laborious and unhygienic.

Therefore, a cleaning apparatus for easy wringing has appeared on the market. As shown in FIGS. 10-12, a conventional cleaning apparatus 1 for easy wringing comprises: a main rod 10; two wringing plates 11, which are arranged symmetrically and are hingedly movable downward; a fastening device 12; a wringing device 13; a cleaning element 14; and two connecting pieces 70. The fastening device 12 has a central part that is mounted at a lower end of the main rod 10 and two side parts with fastening ends 121. The wringing device 13 is hingedly connected with the main rod 10 and, at a lower end thereof, hingedly connected with a connecting plate 131. The connecting plate 131 has two lateral ends, each having at least one axis 132 for hingedly connecting with the two wringing plates 11 at inner ends thereof. Each of the two connecting pieces 70 has an upper end 71 with an upper axis 73 for hingedly connecting with one of the two fastening ends 121 of the fastening device 12 and a lower end 73 with a lower axis 74 for hingedly connecting with one of the two wringing plates 11. The cleaning element 14 is mounted on the two wringing plates 11, having a bottom surface 141 and longitudinal lateral surfaces 142. Upon operating the wringing device 13, the inner ends of the wringing plates 11 are pulled upward, so that the wringing plates 11 turn against each other in a clasping movement, compressing the cleaning element 14 and wringing out water.

For easy wringing of the cleaning element 14, the bottom surface 141 thereof is relatively large and the lateral surfaces 142 thereof are relatively small. However, cleaning of a horizontal floor is usually performed at an acute angle between the main rod 10 of the cleaning apparatus 1 and the floor, especially when floor areas under furniture are cleaned. Hence often only the relatively small lateral surfaces 142 of the cleaning element 14 are used for cleaning, so that cleaning is done less effectively.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning apparatus having a cleaning head that is inclined, so that a large bottom surface of a cleaning element is usable for greater effectivity.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning apparatus having a cleaning head that is inclined at a variable angle according to cleaning tasks.

For achieving above objects, the present invention comprises a main rod, two wringing plates, a cleaning element with a bottom surface, a fastening device, a wringing device, and two connecting assemblies, Each of the two connecting assemblies has a first connecting piece, which is hingedly connected with the fastening device, and a second connecting piece, which is hingedly connected with one of the two wringing plates. The first and second connecting pieces are connected at a variable angle, allowing to incline the main rod, while the bottom surface of the cleaning element rests entirely on a floor to be cleaned, so that cleaning is made with better effect and less effort.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate with the blocking device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the first and second connecting plates of the present invention in the normal state.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the first and second connecting plates of the present invention in the maximum inclined state.

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention used to clean a floor in the normal state.

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention used to clean a floor in an inclined state.

FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention used to clean a floor in the maximum inclined state.

FIG. 10 (prior art) is a perspective view of a conventional cleaning apparatus.

FIG. 11 (prior art) is an exploded perspective view of a conventional cleaning apparatus.

FIG. 12 (prior art) is a schematic illustration of a conventional cleaning apparatus used to clean a floor in an inclined state.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIGS. 1-9, the present invention is a cleaning apparatus 1, comprising a main rod 10; two wringing plates 11; a fastening device 12; a wringing device 13; a cleaning element 14; and two connecting assemblies 20. The fastening device 12 has a central part that is mounted at a lower end of the main rod 10 and two side parts with fastening ends 121. The cleaning element 14 is mounted on the two wringing plates 11, having a relatively large bottom surface 141 and relatively small longitudinal lateral surfaces 142. The main characteristic of the present invention are the two connecting assemblies 20. Each of the two connecting assemblies 20 has a first connecting piece 21, which is hingedly connected with one of the two fastening ends 121 of the fastening device 12, and a second connecting piece 31, which is hingedly connected with one of the two wringing plates 11. The first and second connecting pieces 21, 31 are connected at a variable angle. Below, a detailed description is given.

The wringing device 13 is hingedly connected with the main rod 10 and, at a lower end thereof, hingedly connected with a connecting plate 131. The connecting plate 131 has two lateral ends, each having at least one axis 132 for hingedly connecting with the two wringing plates 11 at inner ends thereof. Upon operating the wringing device 13, the inner ends of the wringing plates 11 are pulled upward, so that the wringing plates 11 turn against each other in a clasping movement, compressing the cleaning element 14 and wringing out water.

A horizontal plane and a longitudinal direction within the horizontal plane are defined by the cleaning element 14, and a transverse direction is defined by lying in the horizontal plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. As shown in FIG. 2, for each of the two connecting assemblies 20, the first connecting piece 21 has an upper end with an upper axis 23 in the transverse direction and a lower end having a hinge male part 24.

The second connecting piece 31 has a hinge female part 32 with a hinge axis 33 in the longitudinal direction and a lower end with a lower axis 35 in the transverse direction. Thus the first and second connecting pieces 21, 31 are enabled to turn against each other around the longitudinal direction, so that the cleaning element 14 is tiltable against the main rod 10, allowing to clean a floor more effectively.

Referring to FIG. 3, the hinge male part 24 and the hinge female part 32 of the first and second connecting pieces 21, 31 respectively have a projection 42 and two walls 45, which extend in the transversal direction. A depression 46 is located between the two wails 45 for accommodating the projection 42. The hinge axis 33 passes through the projection 42 and the two walls 45.

In a normal state, the first and second connecting pieces 21, 31 are connected with upper and lower sides thereof parallel to each other. Furthermore, in an inclined state, the first and second connecting pieces 21, 31 are tilted against each other, with a blocking device 51 determining a maximum tilting angle. The blocking device 51 comprises a shoulder 44 on the first connecting piece 21 on two lateral sides or the projection 42 and upper surfaces on the second connecting piece 31, each having a horizontal section 53 and an inclined section 54 with a rear edge 57.

Referring to FIG. 4, preferably the blocking device 51 further comprises a lower surface on the first connecting piece 21, having a horizontal section 55 and an inclined section 56 with a rear edge 58, and a wound surface 47 of the depression 46 of the second connecting piece 31.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the normal state, the horizontal sections 53 of the upper surfaces on the second connecting piece 31 contact the shoulder 44, while the rear edge 57 thereof keeps a distance 571 from the shoulder 44, and the horizontal section 55 of the lower surface on the first connecting piece 21 contacts the ground surface 47, while the rear edge 58 thereof keeps a distance 581 from the ground surface 47. As shown in FIG. 6, in a maximum inclined state, the rear edges 57 of the inclined sections 54 of the upper surfaces on the second connecting piece 31 contact the shoulder 44 and the rear edge 58 of the inclined section 56 of the lower surface on the first connecting piece 21 contacts the ground surface 47. Thus the first and second connecting pieces 21, 31 are tillable against each other between two limiting angles, which are determined by the blocking device 51, so that sweeping of a floor is performed effectively.

Referring to FIG. 7, the normal state allows for pressing the cleaning apparatus 1 against a floor 19.

Referring to FIG. 8, for sweeping the cleaning apparatus 1 along the floor 19, where horizontal friction is generated, the second connecting piece 31 is tilted away from the normal state at a variable tilting angle, so that the relatively large bottom surface 141 of the cleaning element 14 is used for cleaning.

Referring to FIG. 9, the blocking device 51 allows a user to exert maximum pressure on the floor 19 at the maximum inclined state of the first and second connecting pieces 21, 31.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A cleaning apparatus with tiltable cleaning head, comprising: a main rod; a fastening device, fastened to a lower end of said main rod and having a lower part with two side parts; two wringing plates, which are symmetrically arranged and are turnable against each other; a cleaning head, mounted on lower sides of said two wringing plates and defining a horizontal plane, a longitudinal axis and a transversal axis; a wringing device, hingedly connected with said main rod and, at a lower end thereof, hingedly connected with a connecting plate, which has two lateral ends, each having at least one axis for hingedly connecting with said two wringing plates at inner ends thereof; and two connecting assemblies; each thriller comprising a first connecting piece, having an upper end with an upper axis in said transverse direction for hingedly connecting with one of said two side parts of said fastening device and a lower end having a hinge male part, and a second connecting piece, having a hinge female part with a hinge axis in the longitudinal direction and a lower end with a lower axis in the transverse direction for hingedly connecting with one of said two wringing plates, wherein, for each of said two connecting assemblies, said first and second connecting pieces are enabled to turn against each other around the longitudinal direction.
 2. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said hinge male part has a projection, extending in said transversal direction, and said hinge female part has two walls, extending in said transversal direction and enclosing a depression for accommodating said projection, with said hinge axis passing through said projection and said two walls.
 3. The cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein, in a normal state, said first and second connecting pieces are connected with upper and lower sides thereof parallel to each other and, in an inclined state, said first and second connecting pieces are tilted against each other, with a blocking device determining a maximum tilting angle
 4. The cleaning apparatus of claim 3, wherein said blocking device comprises a shoulder on said first connecting piece on two lateral sides of said projection and upper surfaces on said second connecting piece, each having a horizontal section and an inclined section with a rear edge.
 5. The cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein said blocking device further comprises a lower surface on said first connecting piece, having a horizontal section and an inclined section with a rear edge, and a ground surface of said depression of said second connecting piece, wherein, in said normal state, said horizontal sections of said upper surfaces on said second connecting piece contact the shoulder, while said rear edge thereof keeps a first distance from said shoulder, and said horizontal section of said lower surface on said first connecting piece contacts said ground surface, while said rear edge thereof keeps a second distance from said ground surface, and, in a maximum inclined state, said rear edges of said inclined sections of said upper surfaces on said second connecting piece contact said shoulder and said rear edge of said inclined section of said lower surface on said first connecting piece contacts said ground surface.
 6. The cleaning apparatus of claim 3, wherein said blocking device further comprises a lower surface on said first connecting piece, having a horizontal section and an inclined section with a rear edge, and a ground surface of said depression of said second connecting piece, wherein, in said normal state, said horizontal sections of said upper surfaces on said second connecting piece contact the shoulder, while said rear edge thereof keeps a first distance from said shoulder, and said horizontal section of said lower surface on said first connecting piece contacts said ground surface, while said rear edge thereof keeps a second distance from said ground surface, and, in a maximum inclined state, said rear edges of said inclined sections of said upper surfaces on said second connecting piece contact said shoulder and said rear edge of said inclined section of said lower surface on said first connecting piece contacts said ground surface. 